Proximity to oil and gas wells linked to increased mortality from COVID-19

From December 2019 to May 2022, 82 million coronavirus cases were reported in the United States, with approximately 1 million deaths related to the disease. Some communities have been particularly hard hit, including those that are economically disadvantaged and those with high rates of racial and ethnic minorities.

Neighborhoods whose residents have historically experienced racial discrimination in housing policies are more likely to be located near active oil and gas wells. In 2017, 17.6 million U.S. residents lived within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of such a well.

Previous studies have shown that people who live near oil and gas wells, which can cause air, water, soil, noise, and light pollution, are more likely to suffer from asthma, cancer, immunodeficiency, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory problems. It has been shown that there is a high risk of diseases such as organ diseases. Some people have found that air pollution increases the risk of contracting coronavirus.

But the new study by Timothy Archer and colleagues is, to the authors’ knowledge, the first to specifically examine whether proximity to oil and gas development may also be associated with higher rates of COVID-19 infection. It is.

The researchers estimated the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths during the first year of the pandemic (February 2020 to January 2021) by 6.2 kilometers (10 kilometers) from active oil and gas wells. The study focused on communities in California located within 1,000 miles.

In addition to COVID-19 case records, researchers also collected census data. Regional level demographic and economic data. It also includes information about the well, such as how much oil or gas was produced. The study is published in the journal Energy Research & Social Science.

Communities within one kilometer of wells with active production saw a 34% increase in COVID-19 cases and a 55% increase in deaths during the first four months of the pandemic . The results showed no significant association between oil well production and COVID-19 infections over the year, but mortality rates were higher in regions with the highest production.

The authors added that more research may help understand why different communities have different rates of infection and severity of COVID-19.

This article is republished courtesy of Eos, sponsored by the American Geophysical Union. Read the original story here.